Having completed the Foundation Degree Photography & Digital Design at Blackpool & The Flyde College of Art & Design in which Hazel gained Distinction. Hazel then went on and completed the BA(Hons) Photography in June 2012.

When Hazel started out on the degree she never stopped to think how it would change the course of her life. It has been an amazing and Hazel just loves Photography so much that it's her life.

Hazel hopes to find work within the photographic sector in which she would love to put her own creativity into the images that she produces bringing a fresh input to the photographic world and something of herself to the clients and to people who see her work.

Hazel likes to photograph many different aspects within the photographic world from Abstracts to Landscapes to Lifestyle, Still Life, Weddings; the list is endless.

Hazel has an old box brownie camera and it has been put to good use producing images that are so captivating that they have been exhibited quite a number of times over the past few years. The images are something that really need to be seen as they give an old feel of a bygone era as the camera is from the 1950's.

Hazel is now writing for her Masters in Photojournalism and Documentary with London College of Communication, which she will complete in June 2018.

List of Achievements/Competitions.2009 Blackpool 'The People's Playground' which was a competition by Guy Woodland & Blackpool Council. Several of my images were selected as winning images for this coffee table book.

2011 Blackpool 'Light' competition was put on by the local council and aimed at the photographic students at the college. One of my images was shortlisted and then was one of the winning images of that competition.

2014 RIBA 'Places We Love' was a competition put on by RIBA the leading organisation for Architects in London. A simple image taken at Preston Bus Station made it through to the selection of winning images.

ExhibitionsNomad Galleries 22nd September 2010 Bosnia & Herzegovina Embassy, London.Private viewing only. Hosted by the Bosnian Ambassador. My work alongside other well known artists was shown at this event.

July 2012 Pad Gallery, Preston. This was an exhibition which focused on Preston Bus Station. My work was shown alongside other artists it was in aid of the campaign to save the bus station. The local press took an interest in my exhibited work and it was featured in the evening news the next day.

2014 Blackpool & The Fylde College.Some images taken with a vintage Reflex Brownie was shown at this exhibition at the College where I undertook my degree.

2015 January BBC News MagazineReaders from around the World shared their photographs old & new taken with Box Brownie Cameras. They did a feature on my work from the Brownie camera.

June 2016 BBC Radio Lancashire I was interviewed due to a recent photograph which was taken in Blackpool of the starlings in flight over the prom.

COMMISSIONSRamada Plaza, Hotel Southport Hazel did some commission work for Ramada Plaza which involved photographing the different Golf courses around the area of Southport. Some of her work is on display in the Hotel. .

The Brownie

Hazel Edmunds

2018-01-16T12:51:55+00:00

I have a fascination with old cameras and film.

Here are some photographs shot on 126 film on a brownie camera.

While I was studying at Blackpool for my BA(Hons) Photography having researched Ansel Adams and discovered his first camera was a box brownie, I was curious about this box that was so popular in that era. As I researched out that camera I began to dream of owning one but I thought they were no longer in use or in working condition seeing they were from the 1950's.

Just on the run up to my birthday a few years ago a friend sent me a text saying they'd got me a few cameras for my birthday and they were certain that I'd like them...unknown to them that I'd always wanted to own a box brownie since I discovered them while studying a few years previously.

However a package arrived and I opened it on my birthday it was a box brownie and a brownie reflex I was overjoyed with them. Also I wasn't sure if the cameras worked. I googled both camera's and found manuals online.

I had to research as to finding film for the camera's but I thought no way it's impossible as the camera's are about 60+ years old.

After researching for rare films I found a company who produced film for both camera's. I was so excited and ordered one black and white and one coloured for the camera's.

When the film arrived I excitedly went out for the day testing the cameras's out. No doubt I finished the films quickly that day and posted them off for developing and I waited excittidley on them being returned.

When I received them back it was a learning curve with one camera as some of the photos were out of focus or I moved the camera as I pressed the shutter which resulted in what looks like a double exposure. I needed something to hold that camera steady as my tripod wouldn't take the camera so a friend made a wooden block which I could attach to my tripod and I can steady the camera.

The other camera was a joy the photos were good but I didn't realise how good they were until I submitted a few of them for a upcoming exhibition at the University Centre where I did my BA(Hons) and they were accepted to be shown.

Myself and a friend who was also exhibiting at the same show went along to see the work up on display, the college kindly offered to print my work which I accepted. When I went along to the opening day my friend got there before me she sent me a text saying "you've stolen the show" as your work is amazing. I honestly didn't know what to expect so I hurried along the street to get to the college.

Upon arrival I walked in through the automatic doors and saw my photographs you couldn't miss them they were 1 meter in size each. As I looked on at them I could't find words to speak it was a moment that stopped me. The photos looked like they'd been taken years ago yet I'd only shot them about four weeks prior to the exhibition.

It was a new journey. As a result of that show I exhibited five times that year and this work was well received among professionals as well as the general public. I was given the opportunity to show it once again in Manchester under the curator Liz Ball who shows work through her company "Iris". Having shown this work through Liz quite a number of tutors from the Manchester and surrounding area's viewed my work alongside other artists it was at this event another photographer saw my work and called me the 'BrownieGirl'.

So my name began to circulate amongst professionals as the 'BrownieGirl' because of the cameras I used.

​Some of my brownie work was also featured on the BBC News website under their Magazine titled 'The best box ever made'.